History of Portuguese gold

In terms of quality, pure gold is too soft to work with so jewelry is made using a blend of metals which affect not only the color but the hardness of the gold.

Most of the gold that’s sold in Europe is 18 karat, which means it’s 75% gold and 25% other metals. Portuguese gold, on the other hand, is 19.2 karat, or 80% gold and 20% other metals. The government would stamp every piece of jewelry, and the only jewelry to be sold would have to be 19.2 karat with the government stamp.

The responsibility mark, manufactured or equivalent, is the identifying mark of the person responsible for placing the item with precious metal on the market and reproduces a private design and a letter of the first name, the surnames or your firm, the design and the letter being visibly distinct and enclosed in a peripheral outline. The contrast mark reproduces the guarantee mark of the legal touch of articles with precious metals, or indicates certain circumstances, and identifies the contrast mark that uses it by defining the perimeter, which consists, respectively, in a curved figure, or in a symmetrical irregular octagon, depending on whether the Contrastarias in Lisbon or Porto (see drawing of the marks). The symbol varies depending on the metal: • Gold - deer head for touches equal to or greater than 800 thousandths and swallow in flight for touches less than 800 thousandths; • Silver - eagle's head (turned to the left in the legal touches equal to or greater than 925 thousandths and to the right in the legal touches equal to or less than 835 thousandths); • Platinum - parrot head. • Palladium - lynx head (facing left). Legal marks of Contrastarias de Lisboa and Porto: Legal marks of the Contrastarias of Lisbon and Porto